HELP!!!!! Teaching in Australia

<font size="2">I am desperate for some advice about teaching in Australia. I have
spent hours 'googling' various things but haven't had much luck! Here is my
problem:</font>

<font size="2">I am a Primary trained teacher, specialising in advanced early
years. I have been teaching in an inner London school for the last 2 years. I
took time out in October to travel, and have just arrived back. My boyfriend
and I have both decided we would love the experience of working overseas and
are now looking to travel to Australia on a working visa. I really want to
teach in Australia, ideally in Sydney. </font>

<font size="2">BUT having spoken to some people about it they have told me I
would have to have lots of medical examinations, chest x-rays etc etc because I
would be working with children! Apparently this is all very expensive. (I am in
good health).</font>

<font size="2">Also my boyfriend turns 31 in June so we would need to get our
visa before then, which would be valid for 12 months from when we apply for it.
Ideally we would like to move over sometime in April next year, but I&rsquo;ve read
the best time to travel over to secure a teaching job would be September (the
the visa would run out by then, unless we went this year but not sure we would
have the funds).</font>

<font size="2">I've now also read that with a working visa you can only work for
6 months and you need a teacher number that you may or may not get from each
specific state.</font>

<font size="2">Does anyone know the answers to any of my questions, or does
anyone know of any agencies that recruit in the UK for teaching positions in
Australia? I wouldn&rsquo;t mind doing supply work but if it&rsquo;s going to be a
nightmare to try and secure a job in Australia I&rsquo;m not sure I can do it- which I&rsquo;m
gutted about because I&rsquo;d love love love to teach in Australia!</font>

<font size="2">Thank you in advance to anyone that can help me/give me some
advice!</font>

Firstly - You will need to be 4 year trained (or more), a 3 year BEd (or GTP) will not allow you to teach in Australia.
Here is the DIAC website (Oz's immigration), linked the relevant WHV pages. http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/417/
The medicals are not that expensive - about &pound;200 max (possibly less for the WHV, we had to have the full panel of tests as we have PR visas) depending on which medical centre you have them done at - there are several around the country. the list can be found here: http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/overseas/u/united-kingdom/panel-doctors.htm .
You will not be able to secure teaching jobs as such on a WHV. Primary school teachers are not in demand, especially in the metro areas (ie cities, ala Sydney), and unless you teach Secondary STEM you would not find it easy street to get a job in an area most people want to live (ie not in the boondocks) even with Perm. Residency visas. You will however (if qualified as above) be able to work as supply teachers (called relief teachers or CRT), but can only work for any one employer for a max of 6 months - so you work for DECS (state school system basically - probably called something else in NSW) for 6 months, and via agency for the other 6 months, or via two agencies, or whatever.
The school year starts at the end of Jan - there isn't as much CRT work about in Term 1 (terms are about 10 weeks long - check out each specific state though, as each one is different from the next, they work more like indpendant little countries really, rather than all 'Australia' with the rules and regs), most of Oz shuts down for the long summer holiday over the Xmas period, with the schools closed as well.
If you have the qualifications required (again, this varies from state to state exactly, however all of them require at least a 4 Year BEd or 3 (or more) year degree plus PGCE), then you will be able to register with the required board. How long that takes, and whether you can do relief work in the meantime varies, so you will need to contact the Teacher Registration Board (or similarly titled body) for that state to ask for details. You have to register with each state that you want to teach in, registration is <u>not</u> for all states, only the state registered in. It is not like the UK where any warm body can be put infront of the class (in all of Oz), you must be a trained, qualfied and registered (with the exception of those who have temp. registration in some states, whilst waiting for their full registration to come through) teachers - there are no Cover Supervisors, or TA's taking the class in Oz. You really won't get a job through an agency whilst you are in the UK with only a WHV.
If you want to teach long term in Oz you can look into getting a PR visa (although thats another whole can of worms), or possibly doing an exchange, but I have no idea of companies doing exchanges so you'd have to continue on with your googling for that I'm afraid.
There are many many Australia threads on here (I tend to reply to most of them, ho hum), have a search on here for them and a look through for more info on stuff in general.

<font face="Calibri">Hi,</font> <font size="3">My name is Luke Tebbett I am currently a teacher at a school in the UK. I spotted your email address on a chat/post forum on the TES website. I hope you don&rsquo;t mind me contacting you for advice?</font> <font size="3">I am interested in going out to Australia at the end of May 2012 and would like to clarify a few questions I have. Initially when I am out there I will have a coaching position at a Football Academy during evenings and weekends but the money is literally enough to get me by. I am looking to focus my attention on teaching positions in the Gold Coast area. I have been told that the best approach to this is through supply agencies when I get over there.</font> <font size="3">I have a few niggling questions that I cannot seem to finds answers for.</font> <font size="3"><font face="Symbol">1) </font>Can I go out and teach on a Working Holiday Visa?</font><font size="3" face="Symbol">2)</font> <font face="Calibri">Do I need to get my qualifications assessed prior to applying for this and going out there?</font><font size="3" face="Symbol">3)</font> <font face="Calibri">If I wanted to stay for a second year would I have to complete the 3 months agricultural work?</font>

1) Can I go out and teach on a Working Holiday Visa? As a Casual Teacher - Yes
2) Do I need to get my qualifications assessed prior to applying for this and going out there? Yes but only with NSWIT for a WHV (for New South Wales) its more difficult with a perm visa.
3) If I wanted to stay for a second year would I have to complete the 3 months agricultural work? Yes - or see if you can gain sponsorship
4) I qualified as a teacher through the GTP programme, is this acceptable to work in schools in AUS? No - you need to have done a 4 year degree, or 3 years and PGCE.
5) What is the current job market like in Australia with regards to secondary education. I came in October and still don't have any work (but they only go back tomorrow from Christmas/summer hols)

6) A term and condition I read for the working holiday visa is that you cannot work in the same job for more than 6 months. Is there a way around this? No, you can only work as a temporary teacher. The NSW department of Education counts as one employer. You could try a different state or an independant school after that time.
Hope that clears some things up x